


Watch Him Win You Over

by ajita



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Flirting, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, IronStrange, M/M, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 00:51:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14557284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajita/pseuds/ajita
Summary: After a mission Tony Stark invites himself to stick around much to Stephen's surprise. They still consider each other more colleagues than close friends, but both hope to eventually strengthen that relationship to benefit the team. Now is as good a time as any.





	Watch Him Win You Over

**Author's Note:**

> Is it flirting or banter, who knows with these two. May the Reader read into it as They wish. [INFINITY WAR SPOILER!!] What comes to Infinity War I take shelter in the delusion that it all happened, got miraculously fixed, and the Avengers emerged victorious and revived - get the goodness of high stakes, lose nothing with victory.

"I'm not going." 

Tony said, crossing his arms on his chest. 

Stephen's eyes narrowed. He waited and let the silence deliberately drag on before acknowledging him. 

"You're not going?" 

It wasn't exactly a question as much as him internalizing Tony's words, getting an idea on what they'd mean in practice. Probably meant exactly what he'd said; Tony wasn't going to turn around and waltz his way out the door – that simple. 

They were standing in the entrance hall of the New York Sanctum after a tedious mission of hunting down a stolen enchanted mirror that was turning people into stone – you know, the usual. Things had gotten pretty messy, but they'd eventually managed to track down and revive all the victims, as well as capture the perpetrators. Wong had taken charge of delivering the criminals to law as a repayment for skipping most of the dangerous action in place of research. 

For now, it seemed like another job well done and a rest well-earned, until some new catastrophe would bloom into existence. Tony's voice brought Stephen back to the present. 

"Nope." 

Tony answered, the last syllable playfully popping from his lips. 

He didn't move from his spot standing in the doorway, not at all phased by Stephen's unnerving glare. The Sorcerer mirrored his static demeanor and waited for him to continue. He had expected to secure the mirror within the Sanctum and show Tony out the door, but instead the man invited himself to stay. 

"So, you got Netflix or something here? Do you even have a TV?" 

Tony ungracefully changed the topic. 

He uncrossed his arms and walked around the room inspecting a couple of old looking statues on display in the Sanctum's entrance hall. It was an intriguing sight to Stephen; Tony Stark with his softly glowing metal heart - figure of speech - feigning interest in Mystical Artifacts. Rightfully so after what had taken place earlier with the enchanted mirror. Magic had the contradictory ability to make life a lot easier but also a lot more difficult, and it affected the lives of both people who knew of its existence and those who didn't. 

"No Tony, Wizards gaze into Cauldrons. Upon the surface of a simmering concoction we observe the Multiverse." 

Stephen hummed raw with sarcasm. 

"It's guaranteed hours of entertainment." 

That shut Tony up effectively bringing him to a delightful pause. 

Stephen took joy in the moment Tony stayed frozen. His fingertips had come to a halt on the surface of a creepy statue on display on a small side table. Maybe Tony was trying to figure out if he was kidding but didn't dare to ask for the risk of sounding actually interested - that's what Stephen liked to think anyway. That he was interested. 

"Of course. As you do." 

Tony spoke to the wall and shrugged a shoulder. 

Stephen's lips turned into a smile, although upon noticing his own reaction he cleared the smile from his face with a mannerly cough. Maybe it wouldn't ruin his entire day to waste a couple of casual hours with Tony Stark. New catastrophes would spark up eventually whether he watched the kettle boil or not. Besides, Tony was still pretty new to magic, at least in the form that Stephen practiced it, and it wouldn't hurt to establish an atmosphere where Tony could come to him with his questions. This was the one and only Iron Man himself after all, The Greatest Defender of Earth. It wouldn't hurt to check him off the bucket list of People to call Close Friends. 

Said Man of Iron abandoned his exploration of the mysterious statue and walked over to Stephen. Suddenly the environment changed and he found himself sitting opposite the Sorcerer, but now in a small dimly lit library. Dark decorative wallpapers peeked through where pitch black wooden bookshelves didn't cover the walls. On the ceiling hung a darkened golden chandelier with five lamps, dim under dusty green glass hoods, barely illuminating the room. There was a warmth to the place that struggled to get noticed beneath the exterior that spoke of isolation and abandonment. 

"Would you like a glass of whiskey then?" 

Strange's velvety baritone voice pulled Tony back from his momentary shock. This was probably the most welcoming invitation he'd get to stay in the Sanctum for now, so he'd take it. 

Tony had tried to figure out the formula to teleportation within this mansion, getting as far as understanding that inside these walls Strange could practically be in two places at the same time, while outside he made his grand entrances through those ridiculously flashy portals. He had no idea, probably some sort of location bound magical hassle or enhancements provided by the Sanctum to its Master. God only knows what the deal was. It was troublesome trying to fit the concept of magic into his head, despite his mind being a mess at least it followed some rules of logic. 

"Sure, yeah. Thanks." 

Tony's gaze followed Stephen to where he'd walked, only now noticing he wasn't accompanied by the Cloak anymore. Dressed in his usual blue tunic with layers of belts and buckles and details upon details. Maybe a bit too much accessorizing, Tony judged, although the man carried it with style. 

Standing in front of a beautiful old cabinet Strange opened two doors of delicately carved wood, layered frames curling and twisting on the paneling like they were alive. He pulled out a dusty green tinted bottle with handwritten labels. It looked practically poisonous. Tony made a face. 

"A quick note by the way, could you just ask me, next time, before pulling me along on one of your Magical Teleporting House Tours?" 

He drummed his fingers onto the fabric of the arm rest. Making friends with the Master of Mystic arts was on his to-do list so all it took was a simple 'Why not now?' for him to justify sticking around, after Stephen had secured the cursed mirror. Tony wanted to find peace with Magic because it was obviously here to stay – but he hoped at least some of it would come at him on his own terms. Maybe that's what bothered him the most about it. 

"We should settle on a safe word, like Hocus Pocus or something." 

He continued. 

Two crystal clear whiskey glasses appeared onto the small side table next to him, as well as a pitcher full of water. 

"My apologies. We can do that." 

Stephen took a seat in his chair and leaned forward to serve the drinks. 

The cork popped off the bottle and floated onto the table as if placed there. He poured a generous amount of whiskey into both glasses and added some water before picking up his own glass and leaning back into the old armchair. Tony raised his own glass to his lips and tentatively sipped on his drink. Good, strong whiskey. Probably old as all hell too – really old. It burned on his tongue but soothed his mind, relaxed him into the back rest of his seat. He calmed himself into analyzing the different tastes sparking up on his tongue, the warm feeling gliding down his throat as he swallowed. He could imagine various ridiculous origins to a bottle of ancient whiskey found in the mystical mansion of a Wizard. 

There was an unlit fireplace in front of them. That's where Strange kept his gaze, both hands securely on his glass to keep it still. His hands shook just enough to cause the surface of the liquid to wobble. It was one of those details Tony noticed without consciously trying. 

"Would you mind? The fire." 

Stephen asked, glancing at Tony who offered him a nod in the direction of the fireplace. 

"Go ahead." 

He watched as flames trickled through the cracks of half burned logs. Stephen's fingers motioned gracefully in the air like coaxing the fire to catch on before returning back to tend to his glass. 

"So, this is You." 

Tony spoke and gave another look around the room. 

"Dusty libraries, ancient whisky, a scary voodoo doll collection and -" 

In the closer light of the fire he could see a soft pillow of dust rise from where his hand settled onto the chair's arm rest. 

"More dust." 

He concluded. 

Stephen's eyes were on him again. Impossibly clear and cool yet somehow Tony was sure they changed color depending on how the light hit them. Sometimes more green than blue, sometimes brown, now in the mix of violet shadows and the golden fire they seemed like turquoise ice in contrast. There was an unsettling thrill in having those eyes focus their gaze on you. 

Stephen huffed a laugh into his glass, lips lightly gracing the rim. He blinked, and he turned his attention to the fire. Tony was left feeling like something got robbed from him - but in a good way, a challenging way. He could just tell another borderline insulting joke and have it all back, he figured. 

The man didn't answer right away, considering where to approach the conversation. 

"It's not too bad, is it? Usually I'm more of a tea kind of guy." 

Stephen said smoothly. 

"And that's definitely not my doll collection – I just can't convince Wong to throw out the previous house owners creepy junk. Something about inconceivable magical powers and the dangers they'd pose for humanity if they ended up in the wrong hands." 

Tony was caught off guard by Stephen's genuine smile. It definitely stemmed from a place of self-confidence and quirky humor that Tony could appreciate. Could appreciate a whole fucking lot. It kind of flourished in his otherwise stoic presence, that was something Tony would enjoy trying to poke holes into. And try he would. 

"Yeah, I completely understand. I mean, that shit's definitely hard to look at. Consider me wholeheartedly appreciating your sacrificial choice of home decor - on behalf of all of humanity." 

Tony offered back a crooked smile, more like a smirk, and proceeded to take a sip of his whiskey. 

Strange gave a short laugh but his smile faltered after a moment. His gaze dropped down as if peeling back layers of intent in Tony's words, until coming to settle on his glass where the glimmering golden drink rippled lightly. He didn't say a word for a good ten to twenty seconds, neither did he acknowledge Tony's questioning gaze never leaving his face. 

"Actually -" He started. 

"I -" Tony started at the exact same time. 

Their eyes met shortly, both trying to determine who's turn it would be to speak - and this time they both laughed. An air of joyful relaxation settled into the small room. It was kind of cozy, Tony though. Not just kind of, really cozy, actually. 

Strange swallowed a full sip of whiskey and licked his lips. The gesture faintly resembled nervousness if Tony didn't already know him better. Stephen offered him a silent smirk that crinkled his nose in an unexpectedly adorable manner, focusing back on the fireplace. Tony translated that as a wordless invitation for him to speak first. 

But he'd lost the point of whatever the hell he'd tried to babble on about just seconds ago. 

"That was way too cute, Strange. We have got to stop doing that." 

Tony was telling Strange off but it ended up sounding half-hearted when he chuckled. 

"Killing each other's sentences – I don't know if we're there yet." 

He felt ridiculously amused by this casual interaction. It was incomprehensible. It was electrifying. It was so grounding and cozy it was almost unfamiliar, but certainly not unwelcome. He could get used to this after a few times, which he already looked forward to. 

"Oh, come on..." 

Strange growled unable to keep his own amusement out of his voice. 

"No no, hey, I swear I wasn't trying to come on to you." 

Tony laid it on thick with the exaggeration, like he was trying to deny the obvious. It was the sort of flirty banter he was notorious for, but after blurting that out on autopilot he found himself interested in what reaction it would pull out of the Sorcerer. After all there was an expected level of friendliness that came with these sorts of social games, or at least the presumption of wanting to establish that friendliness. 

"Tony -" 

Strange laughed so easily Tony was completely captivated. 

"I'm unbelievably relieved by what you have just said, and yet I simply cannot buy such an outrageous lie." 

Tony felt warmth spreading in his chest and heat climbing up his neck. That playful spark in the Sorcerers eyes was - wow, openly challenging. And undeniably inviting. Tony was so God damn impressed. He collected himself, shifted in his seat and feigned surrender just to play into Stephen's hand. He might as well double down on it knowing he'd already lost the game of Who wins who over first. 

"Who could blame me, you're the most handsome Wizard I've ever met." 

He raised his free hand in defeat and earned back the most endearing smile he'd witnessed on Stephen Strange's face. 

"You're just saying that because it's true." 

The man seemed annoyingly pleased with his playful overconfidence, and God help him, Tony couldn't bare take that away from him when he himself was left speechless. He settled for silence and trying to will away the smile stuck on his own face. 

He'd been defeated and it stung – but in a good way. 

In a challenging way. 

Stephen 1 – Tony 0 

He hid his smile into the glass of alcohol.


End file.
